Kuhala Bay Resort located in Cardona Rizal is one of the good options for summer outing destinations if you are in search for resorts near Manila. It offers a nice and quiet place of relaxation with a beautiful view of countryside and Laguna lake. While Cardona is at the easternmost part of Rizal, just a couple of hours drive away from Manila, you will be welcomed with beautiful things that this humble municipality can offer.
There are myriad of resorts in Rizal province and having its close proximity to Manila as the main selling point, it can be the best bet for people who loves to go on a summer outing but don't have the liberty of time to accommodate long travel hours.
This particular visit at Kuhala Bay Resort happened on a company outing, hence we reserved the entire place to ourselves for the whole day. But during regular days, Kuhala Bay is open for public. There aren't much information about this resort on the web, (no website, Facebook, etc.) so I hope this blog post may help.
Honestly, my original plan was just to join the outing and then bury myself with a laptop to get some work done while watching people enjoy the vacation they deserve. But the beauty of the place beckons that I find myself enjoying the pool with my nephew before everybody does right after taking some snapshots for the blog in case I'll be writing about it - which I am now.
While the property may not as big as other resorts which I have been to, Kuhala Bay has two decent size adult pools and one small kiddie pool which can be converted to a jacuzzi. During our stay, the pool was clean, so I've no problem with that unlike the online reviews I have read. I guess we were lucky, or it may be the case if there is a private reservation, I am not really sure.
There is a main hall where check-in and out transactions are conducted as well as private function that calls for air-conditioned rooms. I didn't get to explore the inside of the facilities and the rooms that comes with our reservation remained to be an unexplored territory for me because I spent the entire day enjoying the view outside.
The cottages are unlike the usual nipa hut commonly used in some resorts in Rizal. It does not have an enclosure and can barely fit big groups - by my estimate, a cottage can only accommodate five people max as shown on photo below. Which is not a bad thing if the sole purpose of the nook is a little respite from the water and perhaps to accommodate a meal time.
There are also rooms available for occupancy during the stay and it varies depending on how big the group to accommodate. Prices also certainly differs, for instance, a room which can fit 8 persons is priced at Php2,625.
There are dormitory style rooms which can house bigger groups as well that features bunk beds to maximize space. I jut find it weird that they are currently not offering an overnight stay considering they do have the facilities for that. But night swimming which is scheduled from 6pm to 12midnight is welcome.
Alongside the small building that houses the rooms, there is an open area which can be used for small event gatherings with a great view of the lake. It is open-air and devoid of shade so I could imagine this can only be good for night time events.
For much bigger events, there is a big gazebo located at the topmost part of the property which can also be rented out at Kuhala Bay Resort.
I was told that this is pretty popular to guests who are reserving the
resort for parties such as debut, wedding, christening, and such. It is also an open-air spot, so expect that it can either be humid or downright chilling depending on the season. But since it is at the topmost part of the resort, the fresh air is constant.
The stairway that leads to the gazebo can be winding and tiresome to thread to for some, but the view from the top is rewarding especially during daytime.
Parking is also not an issue since there are several spots within the property, or one can also park by the roadside leading to the main hall.
We only spend an entire day at Kuhala Bay Resort and I find the place suitable enough for the purpose of our visit which is to bask in the sun while enjoying the pool with a beautiful view.
At the time of writing this, rates / entrance fees at Kuhala Bay Resort are as follows;
Day Swimming (7am to 5pm)
Adult - Php200
Kids - Php100
Night Swimming (6pm to 12 midnight)
Adult - Php250
Kids - Php150
The entire place can be rented out and price depends on the number of people. They also offer catering for those who will be staying at the resort for seminars, private functions, and parties.
Kuhala Bay Resort
935 San Juan St. (Sitio Kuhala),
1950 Cardona, Rizal, Philippines
1950 Cardona, Rizal, Philippines
Contact No.: 401-4603
